Emmerdale’s Lydia Hart, a character played by Karen Blick, was shocked when she discovered her mother Agatha was still alive, in spite of her bitter long-lost sister, Beth, claiming she had died, and that she has a risk of having a life-threatening disease, Huntington’s disease, which runs in her biological family.
While Agatha explained she was grateful, Beth’s efforts to keep her estranged sibling out of their family had not worked and was forced to reveal a shocking truth about her father’s death from Huntington’s disease.
According to the Mayo Clinic, “Huntington’s disease is an inherited disease that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain.”
The disease has a wider impact on a person’s functional abilities, resulting in disorders related to motion, cognition, and mental health.
In most people, the signs and symptoms of Huntington’s disease develop in their 30s or 40s.
In the United States, it is estimated that at least one in every 10,000 people have Huntington’s disease, which means there could be more than 30,000 people carrying the disease. Juvenile Huntington’s disease, which is developed before the age of 20, occurs in nearly 16 percent of all cases.
There is no cure for this genetic disorder, although the signs and symptoms can be treated with medications to control the disease.
Agatha explains to Lydia that she may or may not have the disease and a genetic test would help determine whether the condition will develop. Beth has already had the genetic test and has been confirmed that she is clear.
Lydia is now in a difficult situation as to whether or not to get the genetic test done, or whether it is better not to know about it. Blick said, “This is a massive shock to process. Lydia is not sure if ignorance could be bliss. She doesn’t want the Dingles to worry about her, or to be the person who makes everyone go silent when she walks into a room. Sam is always there for her – he’s her rock.”
